Compress a PDF to 200 KB
Add your PDF below; the target is already set to 200 KB. The tool tries the gentlest settings first and keeps the first result that fits, so the file stays as sharp as the limit allows.
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Where the 200 KB limit comes from
Online application forms set small limits per file because thousands of people upload to them: job portals, university admissions and many government e-services ask for each document to be 200 KB or less. The limit is about storage on their side, not about how your document should look, so the aim is the clearest file that still fits.
What fits in 200 KB
- A PDF made from a Word document (text you can select) is usually already far below 200 KB unless it has large photos in it. If yours is bigger, it is the pictures, and this tool shrinks exactly those.
- A scanned page or a phone photo of a document is a picture of the page. One to three such pages fit in 200 KB at a size that is still easy to read.
- Five or more scanned pages rarely fit while staying readable. Upload only the pages the form asks for (see below), or ask whether the portal accepts several files.
If it does not get under 200 KB
- Choose Rebuild every page as an image as the method. It works on any PDF, including scans the first method cannot touch, at the cost of the text no longer being selectable.
- Send only the pages that matter with Remove pages from PDF or Split PDF: the signed page, not the whole contract.
- Scan again in greyscale at 150 dpi. Colour at 300 dpi is about six times the data, and a form checker does not need it.
Check it before you upload
Open the result and zoom to 100%: names, numbers and stamps should be clear, and every page should be there. Keep your original; the compressed copy is for this one upload.
Frequently asked questions
Is 200 KB the same as 0.2 MB?
Almost: 200 KB is about 0.195 MB, since 1 MB is 1024 KB. A form that says 0.2 MB accepts a 200 KB file.
Does my PDF get uploaded to do this?
No. The compression runs in your browser; the file never leaves your device.
Will the text stay selectable?
Yes with the default method, which only shrinks the pictures inside. Only "Rebuild every page as an image" turns the text into part of the picture.